Vol. 71/No. 43 November 19, 2007
The Liberty City Seven, as they are known, were arrested in June 2006 in a high-profile FBI-SWAT unit operation in Liberty City, Miamis main Black neighborhood. They are members of a religious group, Seas of David, that held meetings there. They face up to 70 years in prison on charges of plotting to levy war against the United States and to provide material support to al-Qaeda.
The defense says the FBI informers concocted the plans and tried to lure the defendants into going along with the idea, coaxing them into making incriminating statements secretly taped by government agents. At one point, the agent provocateurs convinced the men to take an oath of allegiance to al-Qaeda. The informers were paid more than $100,000 for their work.
The FBI never found any weapons, ammunition, or any other evidence of plans to blow up the Sears Tower or anything else. At a news conference after the arrest of the seven, FBI deputy director John Pistole admitted that the plot was more aspirational than operational. He admitted the group had no actual connection to al-Qaeda.
On October 13, federal judge Joan Lenard dismissed two jurors and one alternate because they had read a brochure on terrorism found in the jury room. It had been passed out by Miami police the day before. The brochure features a police badge and instructions on what to do to thwart a terrorist threat. Lenard overruled the defense argument for a mistrial.
The judge also blocked efforts by the defense to present the criminal history of one of the FBI agent provocateurs.
The defense contends that Narseal Batiste and the other six defendants were merely trying to obtain money from the FBI informers by feigning interest in plans dreamed up by the agents themselves. The defense has pointed out that in spite of the abundance of wiretaps and videos made of the defendants, they expressed scant interest in al-Qaeda.
Judge Lenard has agreed to allow testimony from the governments leading expert witness on his theory of how ordinary individuals become terrorists. The judge described it as a valid social scientific method that offers a theoretical explanation for the defendants alleged actions.
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